Humidor



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\NE\\TOR MAJ ATTORNEY.

May 12, 1925.

A. T. SMITH HUMIDOR Filed April 6l 19215 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LUI VENT R Patented May 12, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALVA T. SMITH, OF WINSTED', CONNECTICUT.

' HUMInoR..

Application filed April 6, 1923. Serialv No. 630,217.

To alluwwm it may concern.'

Be it known that L Anvil T. SMITH7 a citizen of the United States ot America, o'tl Winsted, in the county of Litchfield, in the State of Connecticut,V have invented new and useful Improvements in Humidors, `oii which the following, taken kiii-connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description. y

This invention relates to a humidifier adapted to be used more particularly in cigarand tobacco show cases, storage rooms and analogous containers although itis-evident that it may be used in many other relations such as cabinets, living rooms and the like where it is desired to supply a -moist vapor. l

'.he main object is to provide a simple and e'liicient device of. this character comn linising a container for the water or other suitable liquid to be vaporized and a hollowv porous body or distributor combined in such a manner that the water or other liquid from the reservoir may be applied to one ot the surfaces o'tthe porous body to be distribnted by capillary force through the poresk thereo't,' and liberated in theiform of moist vapor to the atn'iosphereot' the receptacle in 'which the humidifier is placed so that the liberated moistened vapor may permeate the air fin the receptacle 0r room` for preservation of the articles therein or .for hygienic purposes :according to the use to which the hnmidilier is put.

Another object is to make the liquid container, or at least portions thereof,y trans# parent so that the amount oi liquid therein may be visible Vat all times and enable the user to replenish such liquid when eX- hausted.

A vfurther object is to provide means 'for' regulating the supply otliquid to one voli the surfaces oft the absorbent body and 't hereby to control the amount ot moist vapor liberated to the surrounding` atmosphere.

Other objects and uses rehitinggj` to specilic parts oi' the device will be brought out in the followingdescription.

ln the drawings: y'

Figure l is an end elevation oi one form ot my invention in which vthe hollow absorbent body is external to the liquid container or reservoir. y

Figure -is a longitudinal vertical sectional-view, partly in elevation7 oi? the de-k vice shown invFigure l.

Figure 3 is an end elevation, and

Figure 4l is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, ont a modified form 'of my invention in which the hollow porous tube is located within the liquid container.r l

F igure 5 is an end elevation? and Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical scctional view, partly in elevation oil a further n'iodiiied form of my invention somewhat similar to the construction shown in Figures l and 2 except that means provided v:tor controlling the flow oiI liquid from the reservoir to the porous body.

Figure 7 is a top plan of the centralportion ot the container shown in Figure E showingv the meausior indicating the position of the vent controlling valve in the liquid container.

The construction shown in rFigures l, 2 and comprises a pair of upright und stamlards il-'- connect-ed by a tie-rod -Q--' and each provided with a pair ot heads -lm and having sockets -5- and -l3--, the sockets o't the correspondingheads eetl; being` (xo-axial and facing each other for receiving/the adjacent ends of a tubular reservoir or container 7d while the sockets G are disposed in a plane below that ot the sockets -5- with their open ends iacing each other and in (zo-axial alineinent for receiving the adjacent endsv of' a hollow porous -body 8-5.

The supporting' standards -lextend belo' \v l:he porous body --aland are provided with suitable leet -9- adapted to rest upon the floor or other suitable support ot the receptacle or room in which the humidifier isplaced, theupper ends o't said standards being' extended above the sockets -5 and are provided with apertures -lO to perniit the entire device to be suspended from the top by suitable cables or other supports not shown.

The liquid reservoirand porous both` are arranged in parallel spaced relation, on above the other, while the tiered Q is located between and parallel ywith said container and porous body and has its opposite ends passed through registering' apertures in the standards l und provided with nuts wilfengaging` the outer (lll faces of said standards 'for tightly clamping the heads ,w3-.- and Ltagainst the opposite ends ot the liquid container fland porous body --8-.

The container 7* is preferably made ot transparent glass which is impervious to the liquid contained therein, and renders said liquid visible at all times to the user so that the container may be replenished with liquid, as water, when desired.

rlhe oppositeends ot the tubular container -7- are closed by plugs or stopper-s l2- oit cork or other suitable material inserted therein so as to torni liquid-tight joints therewith. and are held against displacement by the ends walls of the heads -3-.

The upper side of the container is vided with an inlet *13- tor filling purposes, said inlet being normally closed by a stopper -ltot cork or other equivalent material capable ot forming a liquid-tight joint with the inlet.

An additional opening -lis provided in the upper side ot' the Container -7- and receives a bushing -lG-- ot cork or equivalent material' in which is inserted a cap 17a having a central tubular nipple -lS- extending through the cork into the container to form a valve seat at its inner end to cooperate with a valve Y45)-, said cap being also provided with an air vent -20- connecting the interior of the tubular nipple with the atmosphere.

in adjusting screw 21- is mounted in a central aperture in thecap -17- at one side ot the vent 20- and is connected by a spring -22- to the valve w-l9-- whereby the valve may be adjusted relatively toits set by turning the screw M21- in the proper direction to regulate the passage otl air to the interior ot the container through the vent 20 and thereby to regulate the quantity of water which may be 'fed from the container to the interior ot the porous tube -S- in a manner presently described.

The hollow porous body -S- is preterably made in the 'torni ot a tube of any suitable material such as unglazed earthen-ware or any composite li piidpervious matt-arial capable ot allowing the liquidv admitted thereto to pass through the walls thereo't` by capillary attraction in a tinely divided state sutlicient to allow it to evaporate in the atmosphere al. the surface thereof.

The opposite ends ot the tubes are closed by suitable plugs or stoppers -2I3-- ot cork or equivalent material held in place by the adjacent heads Arin such manner as to torni liquid-tight joints therewith.

The major portion ot the 'arior of the tube -Qfbetween the ends thereot is exposed to the surrounding atmosphere ot the receptacle or room in which the humidifier is placed, but in some instances. portions ot the interior thereof, preferably near the proends, may be coated at Q4- with a waterimpervious material to restrict the vapori?41 ing'area particularly if it is found that the porosity ot the tube supplies an excessive amount of moisture at the surface.

The opposite corresponding ends ot the container 7 andporous tube -8- are connected by U-shaped conduits -Q- and -25- having their lower ends inserted through registering openings in the caps 4fand adjacent plugs 23- into the adjacent ends o't the porous tube -S- and their ripper ends inserted through registering apertures in the caps -3 and adjacent plugs l2- into the corresponding ends ol' the tubular container-7 for permitting thelow of water, or other liquid, and air Jrom the container -T- into the interior of the porous tube 8.

The upper ends of the conduits -25- and -25- are disposed at ditlerent levels below and above the axis of the container respectively, the one at the lower level determining the minimum level ot liquid in the container while that oi the upper level may supply the necessary air to the porous tube Q4- to reduce the vacuum therein and permit the distribution ot' the liquid through the pores by capillary attract-ion to the exterior ot the tube where it is liberated by vaporization to the surrounding atmosphere.

lt is, o'l course, evident that the flow ot liquid from the container -7- to the porous distributing tube -8- may be regulated by the amount ot air admitted to the container and this air may be regulated by the adjustment of the valve lthrough the medium ot the screw -2lthus permitting the user to control at will. the amount of liberated moistened vapor from the distributing tube -8-.

As shown in Figure 7. the upper tace oit the cap -l'- is provided with a circular row ot graduations around the adjusting screw -Qlwhich is provi ded with a pointer *QG- so that the position o'lt the valve '19- relatively to its seat may be determined by-tbe position ot the pointer *2G- relatively to the graduations on the cap -l7-, all ot which enablesV the user to determine the amount ot liquid supplied to the interior of the porous tube mS- and` incidentally, the amount ot evaporation liberated trom the surtace o'ti'said tube.

The construction shown in Figures 5 and 6 is somewhat similar to that shown in Figures l and 2 except that the central passage in the porous tube -S- is somewhat smaller in diameter and its walls are consequently thicker, and that the connecting` tube as -25- at one end is omitted while the valve controlling the supply of liquid trom the container --T- to the porous tube -S-- is arranged in a connecting tube -25.- which takes the place of memo@ tube --8-, the other end of which is closed` by a stopper *23'* of cork or other suitable material.

The upper end of the pipe -25- is provided with a cap -28- having an air vent --29n connecting the interior of the pipe with the atmosphere.

Communication between the lower end of the pipe -QL- and interior of the porous tube -8- is controlled by a valve 30- cooperating with a suitable outlet port 3land provided with a stem -32-- extending upwardly through a threaded opening in the cap 2S-4, the upper end being threaded and engaged in said opening for adjusting the valve -30- relatively to itsseat to regulate the How of water from the container -7- into the porous tube --8- and, incidentally, to regulate the flow of air through the communicating channels to break the vacuum in the container and porous tube and thereby to additionally regulate the amount of vapor liberated from the exterior of said porous tube to the surrounding atmosphere.

In the construction shown in Figures 3 and 4, the porous tube as 8- is supported wholly within the tubular glass container *7L-,with its axis below that of the container and its ends inserted in the stoppers '-12 in corresponding ends of said container to form liquid-tight joints therewith and. with the porous tube.

'The Stoppers --l2* are held in place byv end heads or caps -3- which are placed over and upon the adjacent ends of the container 7-.

One of the Stoppers -12- and adjacent end head 3- are provided with register- `said openings being normally closed by a force and vaporize in the interior thereof to enable the moisture-laden vapor to pass out through the open ends of the porous tube to the surrounding atmosphere for sup-y plyng the required moisture to the objects in the receptacle in which the humidifier is placed.

The means for controlling the supply of moisture from the interior of the container -7-- to the interior of the porous tube 8- is similar to that shown in Figures l and 2 and, therefore, the same reference numerals apply to corresponding parts of both devices.

If desired, the limited portions of opposite ends of the porous tube 8- within the container-JY- may be provided with kan exterior coating 243- of water and air impervious material to restrict the area to which the water is directly applied and*` thereby to reduce the quantity of vapor which may be liberated from the porous tube to the interior thereof as may be required according to the porosity of the tube.

If desired, the device shown in Figures 3 l and 4 may be made of substantially the same size as any one of the cigars which may be placed in the box or case to take the place thereof, and when properly supplied with water, will preserve the cigars in the box or case from drying out or in the properly humidified condition against excessive drying ont.

I claim:

l. In a humidifier, a closed water container and a hollow porous body having interior and exterior surfaces, and means for supplying water from said `container to one of said surfaces to be conducted by capillary force through the pores of said body to vaporize at the other surface.'

2.k In a humidifier, a tubular water container having a water inlet and an air inlet,

a stopper for the water inlet, a valve for the air inlet, means for adjusting the valve to regulate the amount of air admitted to the interior of the container, and a tube of porous material having inner and outer surfaces, one of said surfaces being exposed to contact with the atmospherer and the other surface exposed to Contact witlrwater froln the container. y

In a humidifier, a tubular water container,a porous tube parallel with the lwater container and provided with inner and outer surfaces, one of said surfaces being exposed to contact with the atmosphere, the other surface heilig exposed to contact with water from the container` and means'for holding said container and porous tube in fixed IlO 

